Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, who opened the 1969 Woodstock music festival with a legendary and lengthy set that helped make him famous, died Monday at age 72.?
Fin Costello / Redferns file via Getty Images
Richie Havens in concert in 1973.
His family says Havens died of a heart attack, and that a public memorial will be announced later.?A statement on his official website posted before Havens' death says that the singer never fully recovered from kidney surgery he underwent several years ago.
His career spans decades, but he may be most famous for his role as the first performer at Woodstock. He launched the three-day festival with more than two hours of music, even running out of songs and thus improvising the song "Freedom" based on the old spiritual "Motherless Child."
Steve Davidowitz, who co-wrote Havens' 1999 autobiography, "They Can't Hide Us Anymore," tells TODAY that the book title was what Havens said while looking out at the enormous Woodstock crowd.
"The promoters of the event actually appealed to Richie to perform for 20 minutes or so, because no one wanted to be first," Davidowitz told TODAY. "Instead of 20 minutes, the crowd kept him on stage for more than two hours with their cheers and demands for more."
Many Woodstock fans noticed that Havens didn't have his top row of teeth while performing at the festival. After the event, and with the encouragement of Johnny Carson, who had the singer on "The Tonight Show" more than a dozen times, the singer bought dental implants.
Brad Barket / Getty Images file
After Woodstock, Havens started his own record label, Stormy Forest. He also worked as an actor, appearing in the London stage version of The Who's "Tommy" and in the 1977 Richard Pryor movie "Greased Lightning," about the first black stock-car driver to win an upper-tier NASCAR race.?
"Richie Havens was gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music," Havens' agent said in a statement. "His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since his historic appearance at Woodstock in 1969. For four decades, Havens used his music to convey passionate messages of brotherhood and personal freedom."
Havens was always grateful for his fans. "From Woodstock to The Isle of Wight to Glastonbury to the Fillmore Auditorium to Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, Richie played the most legendary music festivals that ever were, and most of the world?s greatest concert venues," the statement went on to say. "But even when performing in a?Greenwich Village coffeehouse or a small club or regional theater, he was eternally grateful that people in any number turned up each time to hear him sing. More than anything, he feels incredibly blessed to have met so many of you along the way."
Actor Lou Gossett Jr. was Havens? co-writer on one of his most popular songs, ?Handsome Johnny,? which was released in 1967 and was also part of Havens' Woodstock set. In 2001, the song was covered by reggae musician Peter Tosh, and in 2002, by The Flaming Lips.
Havens also had a 1971 hit with his cover of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun."
"Working with Richie to write his book -- a very good book, one with no curse words, no sexual exploits, but a book that shared how he self-taught himself virtually everything ... was the single most enjoyable professional experience of my life," Davidowitz told TODAY. "Besides that, he was a great friend, ?an amazing, ?fantastic performer, a truly warmhearted, giving human being. "
After hearing of his death, fans began to share memories of Havens on The Roots Agency's Facebook page.
"His legacy will live on forever," wrote Reese Karlan.
Wrote Robert Rothstein: "Richie Havens was a great ambassador of peace and humanity. His voice was unique."
SYDNEY (AP) ? Chrissy Amphlett, the raunchy lead singer of the Australian rock bandDivinyls whose hit "I Touch Myself" brought her international fame in the early 1990s, died at her home in New York city on Sunday. She was 53 years old.
"Christine Joy Amphlett succumbed to the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, diseases she vigorously fought with exceptional bravery and dignity," her musician husband Charley Drayton said in a statement.
"Chrissy's light burns so very brightly. Hers was a life of passion and creativity. She always lived it to the fullest. With her force of character and vocal strength, she paved the way for strong, sexy, outspoken women," he said.
Amphlett was an icon of Australian music renowned for her distinctive singing voice as well as edgy stage performances clad in school uniforms and fishnet stockings.
She was born on Oct. 25, 1959, in Geelong city in Victoria state, cousin of 1960s Australian pop star Patricia Amphlett, known as "Little Pattie," who was at her New York bedside on Sunday.
Amphlett met musician Mark McEntee at a concert at the Sydney Opera House in 1980 and the pair formed the Divinyls.
The band released six albums between 1982 and 1996, peaking in 1991 with the success of the single "I Touch Myself" which reached No. 1 in Australia, No. 4 in the United States and No. 10 in Britain.
The band reformed briefly in 2006. Amphlett announced in 2007 that she had multiple sclerosis and in 2010 that she had cancer.
Amphlett was also an actress who made her movie debut in the 1982 Australian film "Monkey Grip," which featured several Divinyls tracks.
Apr. 21, 2013 ? For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been transformed into nerve cells that helped mice regain the ability to learn and remember.
A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the first to show that human stem cells can successfully implant themselves in the brain and then heal neurological deficits, says senior author Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology.
Once inside the mouse brain, the implanted stem cells formed two common, vital types of neurons, which communicate with the chemicals GABA or acetylcholine. "These two neuron types are involved in many kinds of human behavior, emotions, learning, memory, addiction and many other psychiatric issues," says Zhang.
The human embryonic stem cells were cultured in the lab, using chemicals that are known to promote development into nerve cells -- a field that Zhang has helped pioneer for 15 years. The mice were a special strain that do not reject transplants from other species.
After the transplant, the mice scored significantly better on common tests of learning and memory in mice. For example, they were more adept in the water maze test, which challenged them to remember the location of a hidden platform in a pool.
The study began with deliberate damage to a part of the brain that is involved in learning and memory.
Three measures were critical to success, says Zhang: location, timing and purity. "Developing brain cells get their signals from the tissue that they reside in, and the location in the brain we chose directed these cells to form both GABA and cholinergic neurons."
The initial destruction was in an area called the medial septum, which connects to the hippocampus by GABA and cholinergic neurons. "This circuitry is fundamental to our ability to learn and remember," says Zhang.
The transplanted cells, however, were placed in the hippocampus -- a vital memory center -- at the other end of those memory circuits. After the transferred cells were implanted, in response to chemical directions from the brain, they started to specialize and connect to the appropriate cells in the hippocampus.
The process is akin to removing a section of telephone cable, Zhang says. If you can find the correct route, you could wire the replacement from either end.
For the study, published in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, Zhang and first author Yan Liu, a postdoctoral associate at the Waisman Center on campus, chemically directed the human embryonic stem cells to begin differentiation into neural cells, and then injected those intermediate cells. Ushering the cells through partial specialization prevented the formation of unwanted cell types in the mice.
Ensuring that nearly all of the transplanted cells became neural cells was critical, Zhang says. "That means you are able to predict what the progeny will be, and for any future use in therapy, you reduce the chance of injecting stem cells that could form tumors. In many other transplant experiments, injecting early progenitor cells resulted in masses of cells -- tumors. This didn't happen in our case because the transplanted cells are pure and committed to a particular fate so that they do not generate anything else. We need to be sure we do not inject the seeds of cancer."
Brain repair through cell replacement is a Holy Grail of stem cell transplant, and the two cell types are both critical to brain function, Zhang says. "Cholinergic neurons are involved in Alzheimer's and Down syndrome, but GABA neurons are involved in many additional disorders, including schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression and addiction."
Though tantalizing, stem-cell therapy is unlikely to be the immediate benefit. Zhang notes that "for many psychiatric disorders, you don't know which part of the brain has gone wrong." The new study, he says, is more likely to see immediate application in creating models for drug screening and discovery.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison. The original article was written by David Tenenbaum.
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Journal Reference:
Yan Liu, Jason P Weick, Huisheng Liu, Robert Krencik, Xiaoqing Zhang, Lixiang Ma, Guo-min Zhou, Melvin Ayala, Su-Chun Zhang. Medial ganglionic eminence?like cells derived from human embryonic stem cells correct learning and memory deficits. Nature Biotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2565
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Mobile personal assistant apps are all the rage these days. First there was Google Now for Android, but over the last several weeks we’ve seen a whole bunch of new apps pop up — apps like Donna, Osito, and Sherpa — all of which seek to make our lives easier by simplifying how we organize our meetings, travel, and other personal information. With that in mind, I sat down with my colleague Drew Olanoff to discuss why this is such a hot space and whether these apps deliver on their promise. On that latter question, we still think these apps have a long way to go. As Drew says, all the technology is there — and yet, no one has really pulled it all together in a way that makes these apps truly smart. There’s also the issue of finding an app that fits everyone’s lifestyle. As he points out, his personal workflow is different from mine. Finding a way to make a personal assistant that suits everyone’s needs is a difficult process. As for me? I like what I’ve seen so far from apps like Donna or Osito, but I don’t want an app that I have to enter information into to make things work. I want something that will scour my email and calendars, figure out where and when things are happening, and then from that information plan my calendar for me. No one quite comes close right now. Check out the video above for our discussion on the topic, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Atlantic cod in for even more stress?Public release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sina Loeschke medien@awi.de 49-471-483-12008 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Marine biologists launch a new research project on the impact of climate change on the popular commercial fish
Bremerhaven, 17 April 2013. Researchers have known for some years that the Atlantic cod beats the retreat in the direction of the Arctic when the waters in its traditional habitat become too warm. In summer, shoals from the Atlantic Ocean, for example, are now moving up as far as Spitsbergen into the waters the Arctic cod calls its own. In the next two and a half years, biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, together with scientists from Kiel, Bremen, Dsseldorf and Mnster, will be seeking to discover the consequences of this climate-related migration on the stocks of these two commercial fish species, how the fish are responding to the water becoming warmer and more acidic and at which stages of life the changes are most dangerous to them. The first investigations are already in progress as part of the joint project BIOACID with focus placed on the early life stages.
Until recently, Flemming Dahlke, fishery biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), could not have imagined that he would one day have to resort to the fishing rod to pursue his doctorate. But after several fruitless attempts at getting hold of an Atlantic cod ready to spawn, a fishing trip proved to be the most profitable method. Flemming Dahlke stripped off the eggs from his catch, fertilised these with Atlantic cod sperm and was finally able to start on his actual research work.
At the Swedish research station of Kristineberg, the AWI fishery biologist observes, documents and measures how the cod eggs develop at different water temperatures. He would like to know whether as many larvae hatch from eggs which have matured in sea water at a temperature of 12 degrees as from eggs which have been kept in water at a temperature of six degrees, and how the quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide in water impairs the survival chance of the fish spawn.
These two questions are among the focal research topics of the BIOACID fish consortium headed by AWI biologist Dr. Felix Mark. In this research project marine biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute, the GEOMAR, and the Universities of Bremen, Dsseldorf and Mnster together with partners from Norway and Sweden investigate how sensitive the two commercial fish species, Atlantic cod and Arctic cod, are to the increasing warming and acidification of the sea water. In nine closely linked sub-projects they study all life stages of the fish and their genetic patterns: from spawn and the development of the larvae, through the juvenile fish and their favourite food, the copepod, to the mature parent fish.
"As for all other organisms, the Atlantic cod and Arctic cod feel the most comfortable in a specific temperature range. During the spawning season, for example, the Atlantic cod prefers temperatures of between three and seven degrees Celsius. By contrast, the Arctic cod breeds at temperatures of between zero to four degrees Celsius. If the temperature of the sea now increases due to climate change, the animals become stressed, a condition which is greatly exacerbated by the increasing ocean acidification. We suspect that these new environmental conditions will lead to the comfort ranges of both species becoming smaller and that the habitat of the fish will increasingly overlap. This means that the Atlantic cod can be expected to seriously compete with the Arctic cod ", says Dr. Daniela Storch, biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Just which fish species has the best chances of survival will be investigated by the project members in complex behavioural experiments and during a four-week expedition. "From mid August to mid September this year we will be fishing the fjords of the north, west and south coasts of Spitsbergen on the research vessel Heincke. We firstly wish to document where we find which species at this time of year. Secondly, we are interested in catching a great deal of fish which we will bring back alive to Bremerhaven and can then study in the over 100 new basins of our aquarium facility", explains Felix Mark.
The planned experiments include performance analyses in the ultra-modern flow channel and the two MRI scanners of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven. "Using this apparatus we can not only look into the brain of the fish but even into its individual cells. We are able to recognise, for example, how its metabolism alters within the cells, how heart and blood circulation of the fish react to the rise in water temperature, at which pH value of the water the fish reaches its performance limits or in which way temperature and degree of acidification affect its senses", explains Felix Mark.
The researchers know from investigations of tropical fish, for example, that their offspring have a reduced sense of smell as ocean acidification rises. The consequence: the young fish find it more difficult to return home and are more likely to fall prey to others. So are heat-shy Atlantic cod and its Arctic cousin facing a similar fate in view of climate change? Flemming Dahlke's first results are at least interesting: "There are many signs that the water temperature plays an important role in the breeding of the cod. There was as virtually no life in those eggs fertilised in sea water at a temperature of twelve degrees", reports the phd student.
###
Glossary:
Atlantic cod:
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is one of the most important commercial fish species in the North Atlantic. Stocks of Atlantic cod are divided over both sides of the North Atlantic but the fish also live in the coastal waters off the southern tip of Greenland and around the island as well as in the North and Baltic Sea. Whilst the young fish prefer the shallow waters with sea grass beds or rock crannies, older fish tend to be found in shoals during the day at a depth of 150 to 200 metres. At night each animal searches for food alone, hunting for invertebrates, smaller fish and also juvenile fish of their own species under some circumstances. Adult fish reach a body length of around one metre. However, outstanding specimens two metres in length have also been caught. The Atlantic code tolerates water temperatures of up to 15 degrees Celsius and is brownish to greenish or grey dorsally and pale ventrally. The stocks of Atlantic cod along the American east coast and in European waters have dropped steeply due to intensive fishing in the eighties. Nowadays, primarily Norwegian, Icelandic and Russian fishermen find Atlantic cod in their nets.
Industrial production of Atlantic cod has been attempted primarily in the USA, Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom. However, the financial market crisis in 2010 and the as yet unsolved problems in breeding itself have so far prevented any further growth in this economic sector.
More information on the Atlantic cod and its significance as a commercial fish may be found in the web portal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Gadus_morhua/en#tcNA003F
Arctic cod:
Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) lives in the central Arctic Ocean and in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The fish occur both beneath the sea ice and in the ice-free and also near-shore waters. Arctic cod are usually around 25 centimetres long and feed on copepods, amphipods and smaller fish. They are brownish along the back with many fine dark points. Sides and belly are silvery. The animals are currently caught primarily by Russian and Norwegian fishermen for the production of fish meal and oil.
More information of the Arctic cod and its significance as a commercial fish may be found in the web portal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2233/en
BIOACID:
BIOACID is an acronym for the major research project "Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification", within which 14 institutes explore how marine organisms react to ocean acidification and the impact on the food web, the ecosystems in the sea and ultimately also on the economy and society. The project moved into its second phase in September 2012. The Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) supports the work of this three-year second phase with EUR 8.77 million. More information on the entire project is available at http://www.bioacid.de.
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Atlantic cod in for even more stress?Public release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sina Loeschke medien@awi.de 49-471-483-12008 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Marine biologists launch a new research project on the impact of climate change on the popular commercial fish
Bremerhaven, 17 April 2013. Researchers have known for some years that the Atlantic cod beats the retreat in the direction of the Arctic when the waters in its traditional habitat become too warm. In summer, shoals from the Atlantic Ocean, for example, are now moving up as far as Spitsbergen into the waters the Arctic cod calls its own. In the next two and a half years, biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, together with scientists from Kiel, Bremen, Dsseldorf and Mnster, will be seeking to discover the consequences of this climate-related migration on the stocks of these two commercial fish species, how the fish are responding to the water becoming warmer and more acidic and at which stages of life the changes are most dangerous to them. The first investigations are already in progress as part of the joint project BIOACID with focus placed on the early life stages.
Until recently, Flemming Dahlke, fishery biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), could not have imagined that he would one day have to resort to the fishing rod to pursue his doctorate. But after several fruitless attempts at getting hold of an Atlantic cod ready to spawn, a fishing trip proved to be the most profitable method. Flemming Dahlke stripped off the eggs from his catch, fertilised these with Atlantic cod sperm and was finally able to start on his actual research work.
At the Swedish research station of Kristineberg, the AWI fishery biologist observes, documents and measures how the cod eggs develop at different water temperatures. He would like to know whether as many larvae hatch from eggs which have matured in sea water at a temperature of 12 degrees as from eggs which have been kept in water at a temperature of six degrees, and how the quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide in water impairs the survival chance of the fish spawn.
These two questions are among the focal research topics of the BIOACID fish consortium headed by AWI biologist Dr. Felix Mark. In this research project marine biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute, the GEOMAR, and the Universities of Bremen, Dsseldorf and Mnster together with partners from Norway and Sweden investigate how sensitive the two commercial fish species, Atlantic cod and Arctic cod, are to the increasing warming and acidification of the sea water. In nine closely linked sub-projects they study all life stages of the fish and their genetic patterns: from spawn and the development of the larvae, through the juvenile fish and their favourite food, the copepod, to the mature parent fish.
"As for all other organisms, the Atlantic cod and Arctic cod feel the most comfortable in a specific temperature range. During the spawning season, for example, the Atlantic cod prefers temperatures of between three and seven degrees Celsius. By contrast, the Arctic cod breeds at temperatures of between zero to four degrees Celsius. If the temperature of the sea now increases due to climate change, the animals become stressed, a condition which is greatly exacerbated by the increasing ocean acidification. We suspect that these new environmental conditions will lead to the comfort ranges of both species becoming smaller and that the habitat of the fish will increasingly overlap. This means that the Atlantic cod can be expected to seriously compete with the Arctic cod ", says Dr. Daniela Storch, biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Just which fish species has the best chances of survival will be investigated by the project members in complex behavioural experiments and during a four-week expedition. "From mid August to mid September this year we will be fishing the fjords of the north, west and south coasts of Spitsbergen on the research vessel Heincke. We firstly wish to document where we find which species at this time of year. Secondly, we are interested in catching a great deal of fish which we will bring back alive to Bremerhaven and can then study in the over 100 new basins of our aquarium facility", explains Felix Mark.
The planned experiments include performance analyses in the ultra-modern flow channel and the two MRI scanners of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven. "Using this apparatus we can not only look into the brain of the fish but even into its individual cells. We are able to recognise, for example, how its metabolism alters within the cells, how heart and blood circulation of the fish react to the rise in water temperature, at which pH value of the water the fish reaches its performance limits or in which way temperature and degree of acidification affect its senses", explains Felix Mark.
The researchers know from investigations of tropical fish, for example, that their offspring have a reduced sense of smell as ocean acidification rises. The consequence: the young fish find it more difficult to return home and are more likely to fall prey to others. So are heat-shy Atlantic cod and its Arctic cousin facing a similar fate in view of climate change? Flemming Dahlke's first results are at least interesting: "There are many signs that the water temperature plays an important role in the breeding of the cod. There was as virtually no life in those eggs fertilised in sea water at a temperature of twelve degrees", reports the phd student.
###
Glossary:
Atlantic cod:
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is one of the most important commercial fish species in the North Atlantic. Stocks of Atlantic cod are divided over both sides of the North Atlantic but the fish also live in the coastal waters off the southern tip of Greenland and around the island as well as in the North and Baltic Sea. Whilst the young fish prefer the shallow waters with sea grass beds or rock crannies, older fish tend to be found in shoals during the day at a depth of 150 to 200 metres. At night each animal searches for food alone, hunting for invertebrates, smaller fish and also juvenile fish of their own species under some circumstances. Adult fish reach a body length of around one metre. However, outstanding specimens two metres in length have also been caught. The Atlantic code tolerates water temperatures of up to 15 degrees Celsius and is brownish to greenish or grey dorsally and pale ventrally. The stocks of Atlantic cod along the American east coast and in European waters have dropped steeply due to intensive fishing in the eighties. Nowadays, primarily Norwegian, Icelandic and Russian fishermen find Atlantic cod in their nets.
Industrial production of Atlantic cod has been attempted primarily in the USA, Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom. However, the financial market crisis in 2010 and the as yet unsolved problems in breeding itself have so far prevented any further growth in this economic sector.
More information on the Atlantic cod and its significance as a commercial fish may be found in the web portal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Gadus_morhua/en#tcNA003F
Arctic cod:
Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) lives in the central Arctic Ocean and in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The fish occur both beneath the sea ice and in the ice-free and also near-shore waters. Arctic cod are usually around 25 centimetres long and feed on copepods, amphipods and smaller fish. They are brownish along the back with many fine dark points. Sides and belly are silvery. The animals are currently caught primarily by Russian and Norwegian fishermen for the production of fish meal and oil.
More information of the Arctic cod and its significance as a commercial fish may be found in the web portal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2233/en
BIOACID:
BIOACID is an acronym for the major research project "Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification", within which 14 institutes explore how marine organisms react to ocean acidification and the impact on the food web, the ecosystems in the sea and ultimately also on the economy and society. The project moved into its second phase in September 2012. The Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) supports the work of this three-year second phase with EUR 8.77 million. More information on the entire project is available at http://www.bioacid.de.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
British police officers gather at the start at Blackheath during the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 21, 2013. The London Marathon started as planned on a glorious sunny morning Sunday despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon six days ago. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
British police officers gather at the start at Blackheath during the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 21, 2013. The London Marathon started as planned on a glorious sunny morning Sunday despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon six days ago. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
British police officers make final checks in the Mall, prior to the beginning of the London Marathon near to the finish line for marathon is situated in London, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Security has been stepped up in London following the recent bombs at the Boston Marathon. The London Marathon started as planned on a glorious sunny morning Sunday despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon six days ago. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
LONDON (AP) ? Tsegaye Kebede claimed a second London Marathon title on Sunday, cheered through the streets by thousands of spectators reassured by enhanced security at the first major race since the twin bombings at the Boston event.
A race that started with tributes to the Boston victims with a moment of silence ended with a thrilling conclusion under clear blue skies.
With a black ribbon pinned to his chest, Kebede chased down Emmanuel Mutai in the closing stages, and overtook the tiring Kenyan to cross the line first in front of Buckingham Palace.
Kebede clocked 2 hours, 6 minutes and 15 seconds to emulate his 2010 triumph in London, while compatriot Ayele Abshero was third.
The victory in the British capital came after Kebede was denied a shot at glory here at the Olympics last year after being overlooked by Ethiopian selectors.
The women's race saw Olympic silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo go one better in the annual London race.
The Kenyan cruised over the line in 2:20:15 seconds, the fastest time this year, ahead of compatriot Edna Kiplagat, while Yukiko Akaba of Japan was third.
"Today I'm very, very happy, I couldn't believe I could be the winner," Jeptoo told the BBC. "It is a very tough race because everybody who comes here is really prepared."
It was a miserable day for Olympic champion Tiki Gelana, who finished 16th after seeing her hopes thwarted by a collision about a third of the way in.
The Ethiopian collided with Canadian wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy as she went to get a drink.
"Every year we come to overtake the women, there's 10 chairs going at 20 mph and the poor women are scrambling to find their feet," said Cassidy, who finished 20th. "I have a brand new $2,000 pair of wheels that are damaged, who's going to pay for them? Things have to change."
It was the one blot on a day marked by the defiance of athletes and spectators in the bright London sunshine in a difficult week for the athletics community.
The specter of the bombings near to the Boston Marathon finish line, which killed three people and injured more than 180, loomed in London.
And it was apt that Tatyana McFadden, who won the wheelchair race in Boston just before the explosions, shrugged off security concerns in London to win her second title in a week.
London organizers pledged to donate 2 pounds ($3) for every finisher to The One Fund Boston set up to raise money for the bomb victims.
Before a minute's silence at the start of the marathon, event commentator Geoff Wightman urged athletes to "remember our friends and colleagues for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness."
Prince Harry mingled with the crowds and said he had never thought about canceling his visit following the bombings.
"It's fantastic, typically British," he said. "People are saying they haven't seen crowds like this for eight years around the route. It's remarkable to see."
Tumble over the 'patent cliff' fosters innovation in developing new medicinesPublic release date: 12-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society
All eyes may be on Washington this month as the White House and Congress confront the fiscal cliff, but the industry that produces life-saving medications has recently gone over its own counterpart the patent cliff. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Rick Mullin, C&EN senior editor, explains that in the last 18 months, major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Eli Lilly & Co. and AstraZeneca lost patents on some of their best-selling drugs. These included the anti-cholesterol medicine Lipitor, blood-thinner Plavix and schizophrenia drugs Zyprexa and Seroquel IR. In the U.S., patents on drugs last for 20 years, after which other companies are free to market generic versions. The loss of revenue combined with the global recession has sent manufacturers of such blockbuster medicines looking for better ways to develop new drugs.
Mullin describes how innovations are raising hopes for new drugs and profits as 2013 approaches. A cornerstone of the new approach is a focus on pairing low costs with high quality. The industry is also taking a fresh look at potential new drugs for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other unmet medical needs. In addition, drug companies are pursuing new research partnerships with universities, expanding their international markets, shrinking their staffs and buying up smaller biotechnology firms.
###
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Tumble over the 'patent cliff' fosters innovation in developing new medicinesPublic release date: 12-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society
All eyes may be on Washington this month as the White House and Congress confront the fiscal cliff, but the industry that produces life-saving medications has recently gone over its own counterpart the patent cliff. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Rick Mullin, C&EN senior editor, explains that in the last 18 months, major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Eli Lilly & Co. and AstraZeneca lost patents on some of their best-selling drugs. These included the anti-cholesterol medicine Lipitor, blood-thinner Plavix and schizophrenia drugs Zyprexa and Seroquel IR. In the U.S., patents on drugs last for 20 years, after which other companies are free to market generic versions. The loss of revenue combined with the global recession has sent manufacturers of such blockbuster medicines looking for better ways to develop new drugs.
Mullin describes how innovations are raising hopes for new drugs and profits as 2013 approaches. A cornerstone of the new approach is a focus on pairing low costs with high quality. The industry is also taking a fresh look at potential new drugs for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other unmet medical needs. In addition, drug companies are pursuing new research partnerships with universities, expanding their international markets, shrinking their staffs and buying up smaller biotechnology firms.
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The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
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"The Bourne Legacy" faced some major challenges beyond just finding a leading actor suitable to fill the shoes emptied by Matt Damon. A good portion of the movie was shot in Alberta, Canada, and MTV News has an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from the movie's Blu-ray release that details just how difficult it was for the [...]
With a 5-1 win at Bemidji State on Friday night, the University of Minnesota women?s hockey team extended its road winning streak to 16 games, a new NCAA record. Megan Bozek and Amanda Kessel each contributed three points for the No. 1 Golden Gophers.
Both teams were scoreless through the first period and a half of action, but the Gophers grabbed the lead in the middle of the second. Minnesota had a 4-on-3 advantage when Bozek fired a shot that deflected off Becky Kortum. Hannah Brandt slapped the rebound into the back side of the goal to put the Gophers ahead 1-0 at the 10:22 mark. Bozek and Kortum were credited with assists.
Minnesota added a shorthanded goal at 12:03. Kessel had a breakaway down the right side of the net. Lee Stecklein got out of the penalty box and skated to the near post. Kessel passed the puck past a Bemidji State defender to Stecklein for a goal from just outside the crease.
The Gophers added a third goal in the period, with Kessel again playing a major role in the scoring opportunity. Bozek passed to Kessel, who skated toward the goal. She was tripped, but managed to pass the puck off of a Beaver player as she fell. Meghan Lorence backhanded it into the net for a 3-0 lead. Kessel and Bozek each had an assist.
Bozek blasted in a goal of her own from the blue line early in the third. Kessel and Lorence had the assists. Kortum made it 5-0 on a breakout right after a Gopher faceoff win later in the period. Rachel Ramsey and Stecklein were credited with assists.
The Beavers ended the shutout bid at 16:34 in the third with a Kristin Huber goal assisted by Natasha Kostenko. Minnesota goalie Noora R?ty stopped the other 27 Beaver shots on goal to pick up her 93rd career win.
With a win or a tie tomorrow, the Gophers would break the record for longest unbeaten streak in school history. They tied the record tonight by extending their streak to 26 games. The Gophers and Beavers will conclude this weekend?s series tomorrow at 4:07 p.m. at the Sanford Center.
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(KFVS) - The American Red Cross will be collecting and distributing cards that send words of encouragement, gratitude and cheer to America's heroes for the holiday season.
The Red Cross is inviting the public to send messages of thanks and holiday cheer until Dec. 7 by mailing them to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box 5456 Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
To ensure that cards are delivered on time for the holidays, the Red Cross says they must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7. Individuals are asked to refrain from sending "care packages," monetary donations or using glitter or any other kinds of inserts with the cards.
According to the Red Cross, the company Pitney Bowes Inc. receives cards at the special Holiday Mail post office box, and screens them for hazardous materials. The company screens, packages and ships the cards at no charge.
Red Cross volunteers across the United States and on military installations overseas then sort and deliver the cards throughout the holiday season. The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have received and distributed more than 4.7 million cards for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families since the program began in 2006.
For more information, you can click here to visit the Red Cross online.
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FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones gestures during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Connecticut at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Tennessee has hired Jones as its next football coach, the school announced Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones gestures during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Connecticut at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Tennessee has hired Jones as its next football coach, the school announced Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2012, file photo, Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Butch Jones yells during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against the Toledo Rockets in Toledo, Ohio. The bowl-bound Bearcats wait to hear from coach Jones about whether he'll stay or head off to either Purdue or Colorado. (AP Photo/David Richard, File)
Cincinnati coach Butch Jones cheers on his team after a touchdown in the second half of the team's 27-10 win over South Florida in an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2012, file photo, Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones, left, slaps hands with his players as they run off the field after scoring a touchdown in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Fordham in Cincinnati. The bowl-bound Bearcats wait to hear from coach Jones about whether he'll stay or head off to either Purdue or Colorado. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Butch Jones wasn't Tennessee's first choice as its next football coach. The Volunteers believe the former Cincinnati coach will prove he's the right choice.
Tennessee announced Friday morning that Jones had agreed to become its fourth coach in six seasons, ending a tumultuous couple of days for both parties. Tennessee has scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference to announce the hiring, which was first reported by VolQuest.com.
"It is truly an honor and a privilege to be the head football coach at the University of Tennessee," Jones said in a statement. "I understand the values, traditions and level of expectations that come with this position, and I look forward to being a part of the Vol Nation."
Jones, 44, has a 50-27 record in six seasons as a head coach. He went 27-13 in three seasons at Central Michigan and was 23-14 at Cincinnati the last three years. He now faces the task of rebuilding a former Southeastern Conference power that has posted three consecutive losing seasons.
Tennessee went after at least two other candidates before hiring Jones.
During the 19-day search to replace Derek Dooley, who was fired Nov. 18 after going 15-21 in his three-year tenure, the Volunteers contacted ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden, who indicated he wasn't interested. The Vols then pursued Charlie Strong, who said Thursday he had turned down their offer and would stay at Louisville.
Jones, meanwhile, was apparently waiting for a job like Tennessee.
On the same day Strong made his announcement, Jones rejected an offer to take over Colorado's program. He also had been linked to the Purdue coaching job before withdrawing his name from consideration.
"I am very pleased that Butch Jones is the head football coach at Tennessee," athletic director Dave Hart said in a school release. "Butch has a track record of success at every program he has led, and he views Tennessee as the job he coveted. We look forward to Butch leading our football program back to prominence."
Jones' hiring means each of the four Southeastern Conference teams that fired coaches this year has filled their vacancies.
Kentucky hired Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops last week to replace Joker Phillips. Arkansas hired Bret Bielema away from Wisconsin on Tuesday to take over for John L. Smith. Auburn selected Arkansas State's Gus Malzahn on Tuesday as the replacement for Gene Chizik.
Jones will be Tennessee's fourth coach in a six-season stretch, not including offensive coordinator Jim Chaney's stint as interim head coach in the 2012 season finale after Dooley's dismissal. Phillip Fulmer was fired after the 2008 season, ending his career with a 152-52 record at Tennessee. Lane Kiffin coached Tennessee in 2009 before leaving for Southern California. Dooley lasted three years.
After winning at least eight games for 16 consecutive seasons from 1989-2004 and posting double-digit wins in nine of those years, Tennessee hasn't earned more than seven victories in any of its last five seasons. The Vols went 5-7 this fall for their fifth losing season over the last eight years. This also is the first time since 1909-11 that Tennessee has finished below .500 three years in a row.
Hart said at the start of the search that head coaching experience was "critically important" and that he wanted a coach who "knows the difficulty of climbing the ladder in the SEC." Jones lacks SEC experience, but he has a career winning percentage of .649. Jones' teams have earned at least a share of a conference title in four of his six seasons as a head coach.
After replacing Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly at Central Michigan and then again at Cincinnati, Jones maintained the momentum his predecessor had established at each school.
In Jones' three-year stint at Central Michigan, the Chippewas won two Mid-American Conference championships and posted a combined league record of 22-3. Jones went 4-8 in his first year at Cincinnati, but the Bearcats are 19-6 since and have tied for first place in the Big East each of the last two seasons. Cincinnati's 2011 season included a 45-23 loss at Tennessee.
Jones signed a contract extension after the 2011 season that includes a $1.4 million buyout if he left before Jan. 1. Cincinnati has made defensive line coach Steve Stripling its interim head coach for the Dec. 27 Belk Bowl against Duke in Charlotte, N.C., while it begins searching for Jones' successor.
"There is no timetable to make the hire," Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock said Friday. "Making the right hire is better than the quickest hire, but admittedly sooner is better if possible."
Jones' background as an assistant is entirely on offense, but one of his biggest challenges at Tennessee initially will be strengthening a defense that allowed the most points (35.7) and yards (471.4) per game of any SEC team this season. The Vols hadn't allowed that high a scoring average since 1893, when they gave up 42.7 points per game while playing a six-game schedule. They hadn't yielded that many yards per game since at least 1950, the earliest year Tennessee's sports information department has that statistic on file.
The makeup of Jones' first offense at Tennessee also remains uncertain, at least for now.
Starting quarterback Tyler Bray and star wide receivers Cordarrelle Patterson and Justin Hunter all are projected as first- or second-round draft picks if they choose to turn pro rather than returning to school for their senior seasons. Bray threw for 3,612 yards and 34 touchdowns this year to rank second on Tennessee's single-season list in both categories, behind Peyton Manning's 3,819 yards and 36 touchdown passes in 1997. Hunter caught 73 passes for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns. Patterson gained a school-record 1,858 all-purpose yards.
Junior offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James also has been mentioned as a possible draft candidate.
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AP Sports Writers Joe Kay in Cincinnati, Larry Lage in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Teresa Walker in Nashville, contributed to this report.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook gestures after hitting a 3-point shot to end the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. Lakers' Darius Morris is at rear (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook gestures after hitting a 3-point shot to end the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. Lakers' Darius Morris is at rear (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook turns a somersault on the floor after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Martin (23), forward Serge Ibaka (9) and forward Nick Collison (4) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Antawn Jamison (4) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? In a reversal of roles, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers know they're the predators trying to track down Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.
They have some work to do.
Durant had 36 points, Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half to stake Oklahoma City to a commanding lead and the Thunder beat the short-handed Lakers 114-108 Friday night.
"They're a team that everybody likes. As a young team coming up, you always want to beat the best," Westbrook said. "I think that's one of the things that motivates us."
Bryant had 35 points for Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 19 before rallying to get within four in the final minute.
Dwight Howard added 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers, who were eliminated by the Thunder in five games in last season's Western Conference semifinals. Howard and Steve Nash were part of an offseason overhaul to try and catch up to the Thunder.
Instead, the Lakers are 9-11 and focusing on small gains that give them the belief they'll eventually turn it around.
"It's 82 games. This team has just gotten together," Howard said. "It's not like we're going to get together and start winning right away. ... We're learning how to play together. We're getting better. This is not on anybody's time table but ours."
Westbrook's big first half put the Thunder in control, but L.A. charged back with a late 27-12 run to make it interesting.
The game grew tense when Metta World Peace ? already a public enemy in Oklahoma City after he clocked James Harden last season ? and Serge Ibaka each got technical fouls for a confrontation in the closing minutes.
World Peace grabbed Ibaka's back and the two barked at each other face to face and chest to chest, with Ibaka then grasping the back of World Peace's jersey. Ibaka rared back with his right fist clenched, but the two were separated before it escalated any further.
"It's always like that with us, especially Metta World Peace and Serge," Durant said. "Those guys are just playing hard. I don't think it was nothing malicious or bad plays, just guys playing hard."
The Lakers never backed down. After trailing by 12 with 1:32 remaining, Jodie Meeks drove for a pair of layups and Chris Duhon followed with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 110-105. Bryant followed Durant's two free throws with a 3-pointer from the corner to get the deficit down to four with 15 seconds left.
Durant hit two foul shots and Meeks airballed a 3-pointer as the rally fizzled.
"They're a tough team," Durant said. "They fought hard all night and made it tough on us."
That it even ended up so close was a surprise after how the first half went, with Westbrook red hot and Oklahoma City outscoring L.A. 26-8 in fast-break points on its way to a 14-point lead.
Westbrook was in attack mode right from the start with Los Angeles missing top point guards Nash (left leg) and Steve Blake (abdominal surgery), plus All-Star forward Pau Gasol for the third straight game with tendinitis in both knees. Westbrook buried 3-pointers on two of Oklahoma City's first three possessions on his way to making a career-best five from behind the arc ? all in the first half.
"That's as good as I've seen him shoot the ball," Bryant said.
When Westbrook missed his first eight shots of the second half, Durant helped pick up the slack. He made a jumper, a 3-pointer and a runner for a personal 7-0 run that increased Oklahoma City's edge to 85-66 with 3:34 left in the third quarter.
That 19-point cushion was restored with 7:42 left in the game when Nick Collison took a charge at one end and then dunked at the other to make it 100-81. The Lakers didn't have quite enough to come back.
"We all know that the Lakers are one of the best teams," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "They don't have the record right now but they will. They're going to get some guys healthy and they're going to get some rhythm but they have the best center in basketball and they have one of the best players ever."
That still wasn't enough.
The Thunder charged ahead in the second quarter, just as they'd done in each of their previous five games ? outscoring opponents by 55 points in the period during that span.
After directing a 10-0 run earlier in the quarter, Westbrook connected on back-to-back jumpers from the right elbow and assisted on Ibaka's jumper before making a 3 from the left wing.
To top it all off, he made his fifth 3-pointer while getting fouled by Duhon ? then still went ahead with his usual celebration move of acting as though he were holstering his hands even while lying on his back.
NOTES: Howard spent time near the end of the Lakers' shootaround practicing his free throws, with Nash ? a 90-percent foul shooter in his career ? offering suggestions and even mimicking a follow through. At one point, Howard made eight in a row. "My mind cannot get clouded with everybody telling me how to shoot a free throw," said Howard, who's shooting 47 percent at the line this season. "I just have to go up there and shoot it my way and not get caught up with what everybody else is saying because that's when I miss." ... The Lakers went to see the movie "Lincoln" on their day off Thursday. Bryant joked that he didn't know what was taught in school anymore and some of his teammates might not have known Abraham Lincoln's story. "I'm curious to see if you took a poll who knew," Bryant said. "Maybe it came as a great shock to them that Lincoln died at the end of the film." ... Bryant didn't argue when told that Durant called him an "old fart." He said he calls Durant "Similac," a brand of baby formula. ... Oklahoma City recalled Daniel Orton, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III from Tulsa of the NBA development league. Jones was on crutches with a sprained left ankle the team referred to as mild.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- NBA Commissioner David Stern scolded Gov. Christie and said New Jersey "has no idea what it's doing" by seeking to allow sports betting in the state in a deposition published Friday in the ongoing legal battle between the governor, the four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA.
Stern and the heads of Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL and the NCAA were questioned recently by lawyers representing the state as part of the leagues' lawsuit seeking to stop New Jersey from instituting sports gambling.
"The one thing I'm certain of is New Jersey has no idea what it's doing and doesn't care because all it's interested in is making a buck or two, and they don't care that it's at our potential loss," Stern said when asked how the advent of sports betting in New Jersey would harm the NBA.
"And wholly apart from the fact that a governor, who's a former U.S. Attorney, has chosen to attack a federal law which causes me pause for completely different reasons since I've at times sworn to similar oaths about upholding the law of the United States," Stern continued.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in his deposition he was "appalled" that New Jersey would look to sports gambling as a fiscal solution.
"I know states need money. I really mean that," he said. "I understand all the problems. Federal government needs money, going over a cliff, cities need money. Chris Christie needs money. But gambling is so ... the threat of gambling and to create more threat is to me - I'm stunned. I know that people need sources of revenue, but you can't - this is corruption in my opinion.
"I have to say to you I'm appalled. I'm really appalled."
A spokesman for Christie didn't immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
The leagues and the NCAA sued Christie in August after he vowed to defy a federal ban on sports wagering. The Legislature enacted a sports betting law in January, limiting bets to the Atlantic City casinos and the state's horse racing tracks. The state plans to license sports betting as soon as January, and in October published regulations governing licenses.
A judge is expected to rule this month on the leagues' motion for an injunction to stop the law from taking effect.
In his deposition, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about holding games in England and Canada, countries with legalized sports gambling. The leagues contend allowing New Jersey to sanction sports gambling would damage their integrity.
"Well, we're playing in their country, we're coming to them," Goodell responded. "And we're only there for a short period of time; we're there for two or three days. It's not what we choose, it's not what we believe is in the best interests of sports, but we don't dictate the rules or the laws."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the fact that New Jersey's law exempts the state's colleges and any college games played in the state shows that lawmakers recognize gambling "isn't good for our game." He sounded confident when asked if the NHL had contemplated any changes to its policies should New Jersey's law stand.
"Not to sound flip on this point but it's inconceivable to me how we could lose this lawsuit, so we haven't been doing that," he said.
New Jersey's move is seen by supporters as a way to bring new revenue to the struggling casino and racing industries and to reclaim a portion of the billions of untaxed dollars flowing to organized crime or offshore illegal gambling operations.
But in its court filing Friday opposing the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the leagues and the NCAA called Christie's efforts a "blatant violation of federal law" and his constitutional challenges to the federal law "specious."
The 20-year-old federal law at the heart of the dispute, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, prohibited states from authorizing sports gambling, but exempted Nevada and three other states that already had some form of legalized sports betting - Delaware, Oregon and Montana.
New Jersey claims the law usurps the authority of state legislatures and discriminates by "grandfathering" in some states. The leagues countered Friday that Congress has the power to prevent states from enacting laws that conflict with federal policy, and that the Constitution's commerce clause doesn't require uniformity in its application to different states.
The NCAA has already announced it will relocate several championship events scheduled to be held in New Jersey next year.
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Mobile personal assistant apps are all the rage these days. First there was Google Now for Android, but over the last several weeks we’ve seen a whole bunch of new apps pop up — apps like Donna, Osito, and Sherpa — all of which seek to make our lives easier by simplifying how we organize our meetings, travel, and other personal information. With that in mind, I sat down with my colleague Drew Olanoff to discuss why this is such a hot space and whether these apps deliver on their promise. On that latter question, we still think these apps have a long way to go. As Drew says, all the technology is there — and yet, no one has really pulled it all together in a way that makes these apps truly smart. There’s also the issue of finding an app that fits everyone’s lifestyle. As he points out, his personal workflow is different from mine. Finding a way to make a personal assistant that suits everyone’s needs is a difficult process. As for me? I like what I’ve seen so far from apps like Donna or Osito, but I don’t want an app that I have to enter information into to make things work. I want something that will scour my email and calendars, figure out where and when things are happening, and then from that information plan my calendar for me. No one quite comes close right now. Check out the video above for our discussion on the topic, and let us know what you think in the comments.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
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